


Unlikely Events

by fromthebeginningthen



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alive Cole Anderson, Alternate Universe - Human, Cole and Connor are both autistic, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, M/M, paranormal investigator AU, tbh I wasn't sure how to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 12:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21253481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthebeginningthen/pseuds/fromthebeginningthen
Summary: Hank Anderson and his son Cole win a contest to star in a special Halloween episode of Connor Stern's famous paranormal investigation show.





	Unlikely Events

**Author's Note:**

> I originally estimated this to be about 3k words but I got possessed by a HankCon demon and now here we are!
> 
> For the HankCon (and others) Halloween Exchange, this is my response to Ferb's prompt of: Maybe some paranormal investigator AU?
> 
> You got it Ferb, I hope you enjoy!

It was the first week back to school and Hank was rushing around the house trying to get Cole’s backpack together while simultaneously making breakfast.

The boy in question was sitting on the couch and watching a rerun of his favorite show. He always got up earlier than needed for school just so he could watch it.

Of course the adult of the house was the one running late, as usual. Hank stepped into the kitchen to flip pancakes in a pan while the other hand held his son’s backpack aloft.

“Cole.  _ Cole. _ ”

Without turning from the screen he answered, “What?”

“Where’s your headphones?”

“Bedroom!"

Hank rushed into the room and saw them resting on Cole’s bedside table. He sighed in relief then put them inside the backpack. The first day back to school was already stressful enough for his son. The last thing he wanted was to send him there without the option to block out noise when it got too much.

Hank went back to the kitchen and moved the pancakes onto a plate, buttered them just the way Cole liked, and poured syrup in a small bowl to set on the side. He brought it over to him with some utensils and a glass of milk.

“I’ll be ready to go in twenty minutes, so pick where you’re stopping that episode now,” Hank said.

Cole hummed in annoyance. But Hank knew he would listen. He was a good kid.

~~~

Hank checked his phone throughout the day, but he never got any phone calls from the school or texts from Cole.   


Work was uneventful as well. He spent the whole day doing paperwork for a case he closed recently. There were always less murders the first week of school anyway.

~~~

The first week passed slowly. By Friday evening, Cole couldn’t stop pacing the living room. He couldn’t sit still because the season premiere of his favorite show started in less than an hour.   


Since Cole first discovered ghosts in an old Disney movie, he couldn’t get enough of the supernatural. Spirits, demons, poltergeists-- you name it and he could tell you all about the history and definitions. He didn’t believe in any of these, but he was fascinated with them anyway.   


While channel surfing one day, Hank came across a show called Knowing the Unknown. At first glance, he thought it was like all the other ghost hunting shows, but this one had a twist. The host would conduct regular lockdowns, but instead of screaming at any slight noise, he would work to find the source. The whole premise was to take paranormal “evidence” and examine it with logic and science to prove nothing paranormal was actually happening.   


Hank showed it to Cole, who fell in love with the show instantly. It was one of the few things he agreed to watch these days. And what kind of father would Hank be if he didn’t let his son indulge in his special interest?   


At nine o’clock, the show’s familiar intro music began so Hank grabbed a beer from the fridge and walked over to settle in his spot on the couch. Cole sat in his own spot and hummed along to the music.   


Hank took a sip of his beer as the host, Connor, came on screen to introduce their location for the night. He was some attractive thirty something and Hank wondered not for the first time whether he was single or not. Connor kept talk about his personal life to a minimum. Even in interviews and on his social media. The man was a mystery, which was kind of ironic given how much he exposes the paranormal investigator industry.   


Connor spoke, “Hello and welcome to tonight’s episode. My name is Connor Stern and I’ve been interested in explaining the unexplainable since I was a kid. I believe you deserve the truth, not special effects or fear. And tonight, we’re going to reveal the truth about the Midland Railroad Hotel in Kansas. This is ‘Knowing the Unknown.’”   


Usually the show would cut to Connor’s voiceover giving history about the location, but instead a prerecorded video of him came up instead.   


Hank and Cole looked at each other in confusion.   


“I have a special announcement for this season,” Connor said. “For this year’s Halloween special I want to do something just for the fans. I’m going to conduct a lockdown at a location of your choosing in your state. How can you choose? Well, after this episode ends, go to our website and click on the contest entry form. One lucky winner will be drawn and they get to choose somewhere in their state for us to investigate.”   


“ _ Us! _ ” Cole shouted.   


Connor continued, “You get to assist me in the investigation and be a special guest on my show. Remember, applicants under 18 must have a guardian present. I hope to see you in October.”   


Cole got up and started pacing around the room. “Can I please please sign up dad please! I could meet Connor, I could help him I learned so much! I would get to investigate with real equipment dad!  _ Please _ !”   


Hank was...hesitant to say yes. It was nothing like Cole had ever done before and in front of cameras as well. And from sundown to sun up? He just didn’t want his boy to get overwhelmed.    


“Cole…”   


His son came and sat himself on the floor in front of Hank’s feet, then started drumming on Hank’s knees.   


“ _ Please _ dad.” He was giving Hank quite the impression of Sumo’s puppy face.   


Hank ran a hand through his son’s hair and sighed. “I don’t know bud, this is...a lot. The lights, the cameras, the crew. It’s all very new.”   


Cole’s bottom lip began wobbling. Shit.   


“You always tell me I can do anything I want or at least try. You’re a liar.”   


Hank’s eyes widened and his stomach flipped. “Cole no, come here.”   


He pulled Cole up into his lap and hugged him tightly. “I’ll think about it okay? I have to make sure I’m not on call that night and you have to understand that there’s a very small chance of winning. I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”   


Cole’s muffled reply came after a few seconds. “Okay.”   


Hank already knew he was going to enter it. In all likelihood, they wouldn’t win anyway.   


As Cole climbed off his lap, Hank rewinded the tv back to where they stopped paying attention.

~~~

Later that night, once Cole had gone to bed, Hank pulled up the show’s website on his laptop. There was a link to the entry form on its home page, so he clicked that and scrolled around to find some sort of FAQ section.   


There wasn’t any, so Hank decided to send an email to their business inquiry address. He figured there was a better chance of someone answering it through there, rather than the main email that was no doubt filled with a bunch of fanmail.   


> Subject: Accessibility for Contest
> 
> Body:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> My son, age 9, loves this show and wants nothing more than to enter the fan contest. He has autism and can become painfully overwhelmed with new situations or too much sensory input. I doubt we’d win statistically, but I want to be certain that he’d be safe anyway. Are accessibility accommodations available of any kind?
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Lt. Hank Anderson   


Maybe dropping the lieutenant card was a bit much, but he needed an answer ASAP.

It was midway through the next week when Hank finally received his answer. And to his surprise, it was from Connor himself. Not an assistant as he assumed would vet emails.   


> Subject: RE: Accessibility for Contest
> 
> Body:
> 
> Lieutenant Anderson,
> 
> I would like my show and especially anything related to fans to be completely accessible. I am also on the spectrum so I understand your concern completely. Specific accommodations are to be determined on an individual basis depending on who wins the contest.
> 
> I wish you and your son good luck,
> 
> Connor Stern   


He read it at least four times before it really registered. Not only did  _ Connor _ respond, but he also revealed a deeply personal part of himself and it meant a lot to Hank. And he knew it would mean a lot more to Cole.   


When Hank got home from work and relieved their babysitter, he sat Cole down on the couch.   


“I have a surprise for you.”   


Cole looked hopeful.   


Hank continued, “You can apply for Connor’s contest-”   


He was interrupted by Cole cheering and Sumo barking in response to the energy.   


“ _ And _ I emailed them a question and Connor answered it. Do you want to know what he said?”   


“What did he say?”   


Hank smiled, “He told me they would do anything to help the winner participate and that he’s also autistic.”   


Cole’s jaw dropped. “He’s like me?”   


“Yeah, bud.”   


“I need to lay down.”   


Hank threw his head back and laughed. “We can look for a location online later, don’t worry.”   


Cole stretched out on the couch and Hank took his weighted blanket off the back and laid it across him.   


Cole said, “Obviously I already decided where.”   


“Oh,  _ obviously _ , my bad.”   


Hank kissed his forehead and set to making dinner in the kitchen.

~~~

The contest only ran for a week before new entries were no longer allowed. This was to make sure only the most dedicated fans had a chance at winning. And a segment at the end of the next episode of Knowing the Unknown was dedicated to announcing the winner.   


Cole had been an unstoppable ball of energy all week and ignored all of Hank’s reminders not to get his hopes up. It made Hank wonder if he was that optimistic as a child as well. Probably. Pessimism seemed to come with experience.   


The two of them watched through the episode with bated breath. One in anticipation of excitement, and the other in anticipation of disappointment.   


Against all odds, what came out of Connor’s mouth in the announcement was, “The winner of the contest is Cole A. from Detroit, Michigan. Congratulations Cole, and I’ll see you on Halloween!”   


Hank didn’t hear much beyond the name Cole, both because Cole was whooping around the living room and because his brain had frozen in disbelief.   


Cole jumped onto Hank’s lap, which sent an “oomph” out of Hank’s mouth when a knee connected with his ribs.   


“Dad dad dad!” Cole repeated while slapping his hands on Hank’s shoulders.   


“Holy shit,” Hank wheezed.   


Cole was absolutely beaming, “That’s a swear!”   


Hank’s brain finally caught up with him and he stood up, lifting Cole into the air. “Cole that’s- oh my god.”   


“I’m going to hunt ghosts! Not really but yes and Connor is going to be there and I’m going to talk to him and use the equipment and you don’t have to be afraid of ghosts anymore because you’ll see they aren’t real!”   


“Wh- hey! I don’t believe in ghosts!”   


Cole quirked an eyebrow at him, and yeah okay he knew where that attitude came from.   


Hank set his son down and said, “I’m really happy for you but holy crap I didn’t think there was a chance!”   


Cole said, “Connor says there’s always a chance for unlikely events to take place.”   


“He was talking about the existence of ghosts.”   


“ _ See _ you  _ are _ afraid!”  


~~~

The location Cole chose was Traverse City State Hospital. It was about a four hour drive outside the city and Hank planned on booking them an Airbnb. That was until Connor’s team emailed him offering to pay for the two of them to stay near the crew in a local hotel.   


They also insisted on paying back the cost of gas it would take Hank to drive down there. After all, this was something they had won. Connor didn’t want them to pay a cent.   


Hank and Connor actually exchanged multiple emails back and forth to establish the plan and what accommodations Cole may need. Mostly they were just precautionary, but the most important one was having a smaller skeleton crew.   


Connor assured Hank it wasn’t a big deal because he had a small crew normally anyway. Hank also requested they get to stay an extra day at the hotel so Cole would have time to decompress from the experience before another long drive back home.   


On the drive over, Cole told Hank all about the old hospital. How unlike most old asylums, the patients were treated with respect and care. As they should be. The doctor in charge, Dr. Munson, believed that “beauty is therapy” and had a much different take on treatment than his peers. For example, restraints were forbidden unless absolutely necessary and each patient’s room had a view of the well taken care of grounds outside. Quite literally, the beauty of the building and the gardens surrounding it, were meant to help uplift the spirits of the patients and make them feel comfortable.   


The way the patients were treated, Hank thought it was one of the last places that would be haunted. But Cole’s philosophy was that anywhere where people died should be haunted if ghosts are real. Haunting doesn’t automatically mean evil. He wanted to choose a place that didn’t have a sordid history, because ghost hunters showed those places all the time.

~~~

They made it to the hotel around noon and check-in at the hotel went smoothly. Connor and his crew weren’t supposed to get there until closer to dinner, so Hank let Cole take a long nap. Besides, they were going to up until sunrise so he needed all the rest he could get.   


Hank decided to take a page out of his son’s book and laid down as well. He planned on only sleeping for a half hour, but he woke up disoriented to the sound of a knock at their room’s door.   


Hank sat up quickly and looked around, trying to figure out what time it was. Cole was sitting on the floor, playing something on his DS and eating some of the snacks they brought.   


A second knock sounded, reminding Hank why he woke up in the first place and he quickly rolled out of bed. Figuring it was housekeeping, Hank opened the door quickly, prepared to tell them they were unneeded.   


As the door swung open, a man took a startled step back before recovering and straightening his shirt. The man was none other than Connor Stern.   


“Hi,” he stuck a hand out. “You must be Lieutenant Anderson?”   


Hank gave the hand a firm shake. “Just Hank is fine. You must be Connor?”   


Connor smiled and ran the hand that had just squeezed Hank’s through his hair. “Yes, I just wanted to let you know that we just got-”   


A gasp from inside the room caught their attention, and the two saw Cole drop his DS and run over.   


Cole barreled into Connor’s legs, causing the man to laugh and bend down a bit better to hug the kid. “And  _ you _ must be Cole. How are you?”   


Hank was filled with warmth seeing his kid start babbling to Connor and flapping his hands in excitement. This was why the trip was worth it. And in this extremely short period of time, Hank could already tell how genuinely interested Connor was in whatever Cole had to say.   


It released a tension in his shoulders he hadn’t realized he was holding. Connor seemed nice in interviews and on the show, but it could very well have been a persona for the audience. Hank was happy to have his worries proven wrong.   


Hank heard his name being called and when he focused back on the present, he realized it probably wasn't the first time it was called. “Sorry, what’s that?”   


“The crew and I would like to invite you two for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. It would be a good way to meet everyone before we head out in a couple hours.”   


“That sounds great actually, Cole?”   


Cole nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I want to go!”   


Connor smiled once more and pointed a thumb backwards. “Alright, just meet in the hall in five minutes. Our room is just two doors down in 213.”   


The first thing Cole said when Hank closed the door was, “Dad you have drool on your face.”   


Hank went into the bathroom and his eyes widened as he took in his appearance. He met Connor looking like  _ this _ ? His hair was a mess from sleeping and there was a small dried patch of drool at the corner of his mouth. His shirt was wrinkled as well.   


“Oh jesus,” he said while using a wet towel to clean his face.   


He didn’t have a comb to smooth his hair, so he pulled it back with a hair tie. It looked much neater that way. He also changed shirts, completely ignoring the heat that brought to his face. Connor would no doubt notice he changed. And he didn’t want to look like he was trying to impress the man but that was technically what he was doing right? He probably shouldn’t. Why was he even thinking that way? They were about to go running around in a rusted and rotted building.

~~~

Dinner was nice, and much better than Hank would normally expect from a hotel. Though he normally never stayed in expensive ones so he wouldn’t know.   


Connor’s crew consisted of two people. His twin brother Aiden was camera A and would be following Connor mostly or Cole, depending on if they split up. And a woman with fiery red hair named North was camera B and would follow whoever Aiden wasn’t with.   


Aiden was quiet in a way Connor was not. Like he was content to sit behind the scenes and observe everyone else. He only spoke when spoken directly to and kept his replies succinct. Hank thought it was fitting that he was a cameraman.   


North on the other hand, dominated the conversation and Hank felt sorry for anyone who would try and cross her path. He could tell that Cole was intimidated by her and he hoped that wouldn’t be an issue later.   


Connor was doing a good job trying to keep the conversation balanced. He would try getting those who were quiet have a chance to speak and Hank admired him for it.   


Soon enough the dinner was over and everyone went back to their rooms to get ready. The weather was in the 40s that night so layers were their friend. Hank also brought a bunch of hand and feet warmers for Cole. Really, he would prefer if Cole was in his full sledding gear, but he knew the kid would never let him.   


The five of them met in the lobby and took a rented van out to the hospital. It was only about a twenty minute drive and as soon as they arrived, North jumped out and rushed around the exterior to get establishing shots and B roll.   


The landlord met the rest of them at the front gates with a set of keys. He explained what each one unlocked and wished them luck on their night.   


When Hank asked if Connor was going to interview workers, Connor explained he’d already done so over Skype earlier that week. “I was dealing with some family stuff so I couldn’t travel sooner.”   


“Oh,” Hank said. “I hope everything is alright?”   


When Connor began stuttering out a reply, Hank stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to.”   


Connor looked grateful and nodded. “Let’s help Aiden carry in the boxes.”   


Between the three of them, it only took one trip to carry everything into the main foyer of the building. Even Cole was tasked with carrying the smaller box of headlamps.   


Hank and Cole stayed off to the side while Connor and his crew quickly set everything up with practiced ease. As they worked, Connor went over what would happen with Cole.   


He explained how Cole would walk with him and lead the way if he wanted to, that Hank would be following behind Aiden, and that Cole only had to do a solo session if he wanted to. Of course he said yes, and volunteered his father up for one as well. Much to Hank’s dismay.   


Finally, set up was complete and with all the newcomers briefed, they started rolling.   


Connor began, “Hello and welcome to tonight’s episode. My name is Connor Stern and I’ve been interested in explaining the unexplainable since I was a kid. I believe you deserve the truth, not special effects or fear. Joining me tonight is our special guest winner, Cole.”   


The camera turned to Cole who finished, “Hi, we’re in Traverse City State Hospital in Michigan. This is ‘Knowing the Unknown.’”   


After the introduction, the group headed upstairs to explore the halls of old rooms for patients. Unlike other abandoned hospitals, the walls and floors weren’t barren concrete. The walls used to be painted wooden panels and the floor was linoleum. All was slowly decomposing, but it was clear already how different this place was from other mental hospitals of its time.   


The rooms themselves didn’t have bars over the windows, though all the furniture had been removed. Paint inside was peeling and rested in dried curls on the floor.   


As they walked, Connor told the story of a patient who used to play outside the grounds’ fence with his friends. They were terrified of the buildings and the people inside, assuming the worst about them. Everyone heard stories about the kinds of treatments the people who were sent away had to endure. As an adult, he suffered tremendous loss and became a patient himself for suicidal thoughts. He discovered that his fears as a kid were unfounded. The hospital helped him, it didn’t drive him insane.   


All patient stories weren’t positive though. As the years passed, the hospital began taking in patients with tuberculosis and other diseases. It also took in soldiers from the navy. For every mental patient, there was a physically ill patient loss to the tragedy of diseases of the time.   


Hank listened to these stories with the same rapt attention his son had while watching the show. And he was proud of his son. Cole matched Connor step for step and had his fair share of talking time.   


Connor was intentionally making space for Cole to actually be a co-host. Hank couldn’t have been more grateful. He thought that was the reason he couldn’t stop watching the man, but it probably had more to do with the way a stray curl flopped over Connor’s forehead.   


Besides the obvious creaking of old pipes and the foundation settling, there wasn’t any unusual activity. So, Connor decided they should do their first solo session of the night.   


Cole said he wanted to do it, so Connor gave him a voice recorder and EMF reader while Aiden settled into a corner of the room they chose. It was an old communal bathroom and some of the fixtures still remained, like showerheads and toilets. Normally they did these sessions completely alone, but Cole told Hank he wanted someone to stay.   


Connor told him not to worry. “I promise ghosts aren’t more likely to appear just because someone is alone.”   


Cole laughed and said, “It would just be more likely that people’s minds play tricks on them.”   


“Exactly!”   


Outside the room, Connor convinced Hank to walk with him. “We won’t go far, just around this wing. Besides, if they need us we have walkie talkies.”   


Hank couldn’t really argue with that. So the two went, followed by North with the second camera. To be honest, Hank kept forgetting she existed. She never got in the way and was quiet, a complete opposite to what she’d been like at dinner.   


“Thank you for doing this, by the way.” Connor said.   


Hank’s brow furrowed. “Me? I should be thanking  _ you _ for giving this opportunity.   


One side of Connor’s mouth turned up in a slight smile. “Maybe. But not everyone would do this for their kid. Indulge in their interests to this degree I mean.” He motioned around them.   


“Any parent who doesn’t is an asshole. Wait fuck- can I curse?”   


Connor laughed and put a hand on Hank’s arm briefly. The touch burned in the chill of the building. “Yes, that’s what post-production editing is for. And I agree.”   


Hank noticed the far off look in Connor’s eye. It seemed he had personal experience with asshole parents. Hank tried to lighten the mood. “I don’t believe in ghosts but somehow I’m still afraid of them. I admit it.”   


Connor turned an interested eye on him. “Are you Catholic?”   


“Raised. Not religious anymore though. Why, is that common with them?”   


“Actually yes,” Connor said. “You’re warned about the supernatural and at a young age. Even if you don’t believe when you get older, it has a tendency to stick around.”   


Hank hummed. “Like Catholic guilt.”   


That startled a bigger laugh out of Connor and Hank wanted to keep hearing that. “Yes, exactly.”   


The two came to the end of the hallway and turned to begin heading back.   


“What about you?” Hank asked.   


“Do I have Catholic guilt?”   


Hank gently shoved him. “No, how were you raised?”   


“It might be surprising, but I was raised by scientists. My mother taught me that there were many religions and I could follow one of them if I chose. But they didn’t enforce any specific views on me.”   


Hank could hear the sarcasm in his voice. “And now you want to convince others to stop believing?”   


Connor shook his head. “Not at all. I want to convince others to think for themselves, to question their beliefs. If we believe in ghosts because of people on a tv show reinforcing our fears with fake evidence, then we probably shouldn’t believe in them at all. Or at least, we should believe in them with the understanding that ghosts are equally as faith based as believing in God. There  _ is _ no evidence.”   


Just then Hank heard a scream which sent a wave of cold dread down his spine and he instinctively reached his hand toward the gun holster he didn’t have on him. He positioned himself in front of Connor and tried to figure out where it came from.   


That’s when he heard giggling.   


Hank faced Connor in disbelief. “Some woman is being attacked and you’re  _ laughing _ ?!”   


“No Hank, Hank. It was just a fox. That’s what their mating call sounds like.”   


Hank’s pulse was still racing. “Jesus Christ in October?”   


Connor shrugged. “I’m guessing you don’t get them in the city?”   


“Hell no!” Hank tried ignoring the embarrassed flush that was probably not hidden too well with a headlamp aimed at his face.   


“Many people hear that at night and think it’s a ghost. Souls so tormented their screams can still be heard.”   


Hank’s breath finally started evening out. “Meanwhile it’s just horny foxes?”   


It was Connor’s turn to flush. “You could put it that way. Let’s go back to the others. And North? Shut up.”   


She hadn’t said anything, but Hank could just make out the sight of her biting her lip to stave off laughter behind the camera. Hank grimaced.   


“Is all this gonna air?”   


“Oh don’t worry, we edit out anything surpassing a PG rating.”   


Hank sighed in relief.   


When they got back to the others, the first thing Cole did was ask if they heard the fox too.   


“Yes, and it scared your father.” Connor said.   


“Hey!” But Hank couldn’t really be mad because Cole was laughing.   


Connor asked, “Anything to report for us?”   


Cole thought for a minute. “We heard footsteps but that was definitely you guys. There was also scratching sounds in the wall, but it’s probably rats.”   


“We should look for evidence then.”   


It didn’t take long to find rodent droppings, though they were from mice instead of rats.   


Hank was beginning to find the whole process rather boring. The usual ghost hunter formula started to make a lot more sense. Those shows were a whole lot of nothing stretched out to forty minutes with tense music and fake reactions from the groups thrown in.   


As they walked the rest of the rooms in the upper floors, Cole would periodically point out spikes on their EMF detector. Connor pulled out a copy of the building blueprints he’d made and marked up. Coincidentally, or not, each area with higher ambient readings corresponded with the areas that still had electricity running through.   


“Why would there still be electricity?” Hank asked.   


Connor turned briefly to him. “This place is slowly undergoing renovation, they never really shut off all power. I talked to the electrician in charge so I could distinguish between manmade and metaphysical spikes.”   


“Any metaphysical ones?”   


“What do you think?”   


Hank shrugged and fell back into step behind the cameras.

~~~

Next, Connor wanted to take them to the tunnels. For Hank and the audience’s benefit, he explained what they were for on the way.

“A tunnel system was created to connect the buildings across the grounds. It was a way to transport sick patients without exposing healthy ones to the diseases, and it was especially helpful in the colder months when the weather outside would have been cruel to go through.”

As they reached the entrance in the basement of the building, Connor allowed Cole to unlock the door and step through first. He was a brave kid, but even he hesitated. Their lights didn’t seem to reach far. The darkness was like a physical being, absorbing any light that touched it.

The brick walls once painted white, were now peeling and yellowed with age. There were light fixtures on the ceiling, but of course they weren’t lit.

Recognizing his son’s hesitation, Hank set his own fears of hidden beings aside and walked over to put a comforting hand on Cole’s shoulder. Together they walked through and the rest of the crew followed.

Hank said, “It’s not very welcoming is it?”

“No,” said Connor. “I can’t imagine  _ any _ tunnel being welcoming. They're too claustrophobic.”

As the group walked along, they came across a four-way split. Connor suggested putting one of their headlamps on the ground and face it the way they came. North suggested they should use Hank’s.

With a grimace, Hank set it on the ground. It was the least he could do to stop seeming nervous about the whole area.

They moved along through the tunnel on their right and Connor explained that it led to the hospital rather than one of the housing buildings. Great, Hank thought.

After passing the skeleton of some long decomposed wildlife (“Cole I’m drawing a line, we are  _ not _ taking that home”), Connor stopped walking and looked at Hank expectantly.

“...what?”

Connor smiled. “Cole, I think now is a good time for another solo session. You know, to see if the tunnels are haunted.”

“Then why are you looking at- oh no.”

Cole clapped his hands together. “I agree!”   


Hank narrowed his eyes at his son, the traitor. “But someone is staying with me right?” He laughed nervously.

Just then, Aiden started removing the camera’s attached battery pack and setting the camera up on a portable tripod.

Hank crossed his arms and shifted his weight. “How come Cole got someone and I just get that thing over there?” He nodded his head toward the bones.

“Because I’m special,” Cole said.

Hank looked up to the ceiling and prayed for the first time since he was Cole’s age that there. Were. No. Ghosts.

Too soon, the setup was done and Hank was left alone with EMF detector and voice recorder in hand. Before they left, Aiden showed Hank how to turn the camera’s light off and switch to night vision. The goal was to have Hank be completely in the dark.

He waited until he could no longer see light from the others and with a last look to his right and left, he flicked off the camera’s light and turned on night vision. Plunged immediately into darkness, Hank slowly lowered himself to the ground.

He was supposed to do this for fifteen minutes and he doubted anyone would respond to him on the walkie talkie unless he called through with an emergency.

For the first few minutes, he simply focused on his breathing until it was even and relaxed. It did make him feel better. He was ready to start talking. He knew what the usual shtick was.

“Is there anyone with me?”

No response.

“A lot of sick folk came through here. Were you one of them?”

…

“I hear the doctors were nice, is that true?”

Then, Hank could have sworn he heard the faintest footsteps coming toward him. His head jerked toward the sound, but of course in the dark there was nothing to see. The noise stopped as he looked and a chill ran down his spine, raising the hair on the back of his neck.

“Connor?”

Silence.

Hank swallowed. “If one of you guys are fucking with me I’ll have you know I’m authorized to use deadly force.” The threat was hollow of course, he didn’t even have his gun.

Two more steps sounded, clearer this time. He definitely wasn’t hearing things.

Hank stood up, ignoring the way his knees cracked, and backed away straight into the camera.

“Shit.” He managed to catch it and set it upright again. He fumbled for the light, but couldn’t locate the switch in the dark. “Come the fuck on.”

Several pairs of footsteps could be heard, and this time it came from the opposite direction. The walls were slowly illuminated by the approaching group and Hank sighed in relief, only just then realizing how much he was sweating.

He wiped his brow and said, “Fix your stupid camera, I can’t turn it on.”   


Connor beamed when he saw his face. “Why Hank, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What happened?”

“Nothing happened.” Hank took the headlamp Connor offered to him with a bit more force than necessary and started walking quickly in the direction they came.

He missed the panicked look that flashed across Connor’s face.

Hank heard Connor say to the camera, “We’ll check in with Hank after our break. Let’s head up to the foyer.”

The group followed as Hank led the way to the tunnel’s entrance, and Cole gently held onto the bottom edge of Hank’s jacket.

Hank smiled down at him, there was no need to worry him. “I’m okay.”

“Okay,” said Cole.

~~~

Back in the foyer, everyone collected their food they packed and settled down on the floor.   


Connor sat himself next to Hank and spoke to Cole while opening his paper bag. “Hey, do you want to see how the cameras work?”   


“Yes.”   


“Cool,” Connor looked to his brother. “Will you and North show him how everything works?”   


“But-”   


The look Connor shot his brother stopped his protest. Instead he nodded, and Cole followed him and North to the other side of the room. It would give Connor and Hank a small bit of privacy.   


Connor cut right to the chase. “What happened really?”   


Hank set down the sandwich he had just unwrapped and folded his hands. “You’re just gonna laugh.”   


Connor placed a comforting hand on Hank’s arm and Hank looked up, meeting his gaze. He didn’t see any of the mirth that was there earlier.   


“I don’t judge, Hank. I’m sorry for poking fun earlier, I didn’t know how freaked out you actually were. Besides, listening to people’s experiences and then helping them  _ is _ kind of my thing.”   


Hank blew out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He looked away from that intent gaze before explaining. “I heard- I  _ thought _ I heard footsteps. I thought it was one of you guys but it was coming from the other side of the tunnel.”   


“Do you think it was loud enough to pick up on the recorder?”   


“Maybe,” Hank said. “At least I’d know I wasn’t hearing things, but I don’t know what’s worse.”   


Connor stood up, only just now letting go of Hank’s arm, and swiftly grabbed the device from the other group. He was already rewinding the recording by the time he sat back down.   


He pressed play and the two of them leaned in close to the speaker to listen. They heard Hank’s questions and the silence between them. Then, there it was. Faintly, but the louder steps Hank heard were audible. The problem was, they were almost indistinguishable from Connor’s crew returning. There wasn’t directional sound on a device like that.   


Hank asked, “So what do you make of that? There were quieter ones too, but you could only hear my reaction to them.”   


Connor replayed the steps a few more times, tapping the device against his chin. “Hmm. The walls are curved right? If you really heard them coming from the other side, then it’s entirely possible that the sound of my footsteps just ricocheted off the walls. And any negative feelings would have been caused by the irrational fear of somebody else being down there when you were supposed to be alone. I would be scared too.”   


Hank harrumphed.   


Connor frowned. “You don’t buy it?”   


“It just seems a bit unlikely.”   


“More unlikely than a ghost?”   


Hank waved a hand, “Okay, touch é .”   


Connor said, “Even better though, we can just go back down and recreate the circumstances to see if it happens again. The scientific method remember?”   


“Uh, you guys can go back down but I’m not stepping foot back in that tunnel.”   


The group finished their meal and when filming started up again, Connor relayed what Hank had experienced. He then went over their plan to recreate the situation.   


Hank ended up going with the group because he would be alone otherwise. But, he stuck to one of the camera operators at all times and Connor volunteered to be their guinea pig.   


To Hank’s mild surprise, it worked. They caught the footsteps, with a definitive source this time. It made Hank feel a little better, but he couldn’t shake all of his paranoia.

~~~

The last thing on Connor’s agenda for the exploration was something called the hippie tree. It was still on the hospital’s grounds, but far enough away that they decided to lock up the main building for the night.

They followed along a path through the neighboring woods and quickly they realized it would be hard to miss the tree. Other trees along the path were tagged with graffiti, leading the way.

Even though the rest of the forest was pitch black, there was no sense of danger. It was kind of hard to be scared when surrounded by rainbows and suns.

Connor’s story about the tree didn’t scare them at all either. Even to a kid, the stories were clearly all made up over time to scare people. There was only one that was true.

“It’s named after the hippies who would hike to it and meditate there for enlightenment.”

“Ah, so they smoked weed.”

“Hank! Tiny ears.”

“Cole knows a lot, I’m a homicide detective.”

Somehow the tame stories of hippies turned into the tree being some sort of gateway to hell if one walked in a certain pattern around it. Another story stated that all the tortured souls from the hospital were trapped in the tree and being near it would drive you mad.

Much like the story of the patient who was afraid of the hospital as a kid, people to this day still didn’t know the real history of the place. Otherwise, they might never have come up with such tales.

When they finally came upon the tree, they could see why people thought it had a different energy. Massive amounts of colorful graffiti aside, the tree itself was not a normal shape. It looked like it grew horizontal, with large branches spidering out from the center trunk.

Looking at it in the dark, it was impossible to determine where it came out of the ground. It was the only tree like that too. All the neighboring trees were normal, albeit also covered in various spray paint.

The branches probably served as natural benches to hikers who came through the area, and once upon a time to those hippies.

Cole was quickly fascinated with it, automatically scrambling on top and getting a closer look at some of the pictures and messages. Hank hoped none of them were too explicit in nature.

“Cole,” Connor called up. “Would you like to keep watch up there for the door to hell while your dad and I try to open it?”

“Yes!” Cole yelled back.

Hank groaned, “Jesus.”

Connor clicked his tongue. “Wrong spirit Hank, think lower.”

Hank rolled his eyes, but did as Connor directed. They both circled the tree, going in opposite directions. It was difficult because of the tree’s shape, but they managed it slowly.

Hank felt ridiculous the entire time and hoped that Connor would just cut the entire thing out of the episode.

When no such doorway opened, Hank helped Cole climb down.

Then because of the unique setting, Connor decided they should do the outro there instead of back at the hospital’s entrance.

He recited the lines with Cole so Cole could participate again like he had at the beginning of the night. Hank only really listened to the end of the whole spiel when they started recording.

Connor said, “There was some activity tonight which I believe we’ve found the sources of, but of course everyone thinks differently.”

Cole finished, “Was the activity paranormal or was it normal? You decide.”

Connor gave him a high five when they finished and the group all started heading back. Spirits were high knowing they’d get to sleep soon after the long night.

~~~

Aiden and North didn’t want any help packing up the equipment because they were afraid of someone inexperienced breaking something. But, they did enlist the others into carrying everything back to their rental van.

The landlord met them at the entrance as planned as well, taking the set of keys back from Connor. He wished them a good rest of the day, then left in his own car.

Packing the van and piling in felt bittersweet. The night had its calm and not so calm moments, but mostly Hank was just glad to have gotten the chance to meet Connor and let his son have the opportunity to do something he’d always loved.

Hank looked out the window to take one last look at the hospital. It didn’t seem foreboding anymore with the dawn’s light brightening the sky around it. He looked across the windows and his eyes caught on one that wasn’t blank.

He did a double take and saw what looked like a figure standing at a bottom floor window and waving at them. Hank’s eyes were dry, so he blinked hard to get rid of the blurriness. But when he opened them again, whatever he saw was gone.

It was probably just a squatter, he told himself. He was a cop. Hauntings in abandoned buildings ended up just being the homeless all the time. People just let their imaginations run wild.

He physically shook his head to divert his attention onto something else. Or  _ someone _ else.

He was grateful for Connor, for the opportunity he gave his son and for getting to know him even just a little bit. He knew it was the last evening of its kind, and he likely wouldn’t get to see Connor again. The thought made something settle uncomfortably in his stomach on the ride back to the hotel.

The feeling hadn’t left through their goodbyes, and through tossing and turning most of the morning when he and Cole went to their room to sleep the day away.

Things felt...unfinished.

~~~

Hank awoke to a knock on the door. He cracked an eye open and saw Cole still in a deep sleep. He forced himself to get out of bed despite being dead on his feet.

If it was housekeeping, they were going to come in and wake Cole since Hank had apparently not put the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the handle.

Hank cracked the door open and was surprised to see Connor on the other side. It felt like deja vu and he self-consciously rubbed a hand across his mouth.

“What are-”

Connor put a finger to his lips then motioned for Hank to come outside where they wouldn’t wake Cole.

Hank nodded and went outside, shutting the door behind himself quietly.

Connor was fidgeting with a coin, or more accurately, rolling it across his knuckles and doing other various tricks.

Hank pointed it out. “That’s a neat skill.”

Connor appeared momentarily confused, then he looked down. “Oh this. Yes, one day I picked it up and I...never really put it back down.”

He flicked the coin to one hand and reached the other in his back pocket. He was already dressed for the day. Yesterday he said they didn’t have long to stay before their flight.

Connor pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it out to Hank.

Hank searched Connor’s face, but when Connor wouldn’t meet his eyes, he took the paper. He unfolded it and saw it was a piece of the hotel’s stationary, but there was a note on it.

> Hank,
> 
> 313-248-3175
> 
> My personal number, if I’m not being presumptuous.
> 
> -Connor

The area code was very familiar. “You’re from Michigan?”

Connor smiled sheepishly, “It never really came up in conversation.”

Hank laughed, “You little shit.”

“So am I?”

“Are you what?”

Connor put his coin away finally. “Being presumptuous?”

Hank carefully folded the paper and tucked it into the breast pocket of his sleep shirt. “No but I-” He cut himself off with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to read this wrong. I’m old and I’m not used to people showing interest in me...in this.”

He motioned to his body.

Connor stepped closer and rolled his eyes. “Hank you’re not that old, and I like  _ this _ .” He placed a hand against Hank’s chest for emphasis, just over his heart. “My mother made me promise that I would stop passing on things I want just because it scares me. This is me not passing.”

Hank didn’t move away, but he didn’t move closer either. “I have a kid. And I work too much, and I’m off-putting, and I haven’t dated since my wife left eight years ago.”

Connor slid his hand up to cup the side of Hank’s face, letting his thumb brush along Hank’s cheekbone. “Several months of the year I’m traveling for work, and sometimes I can’t speak for an entire day, and I’ve only had one serious relationship in my entire life.”

Hank raised an eyebrow. “That all?”

Connor’s breath hitched around a smile, then he closed the distance between them. They were just close enough in height that Connor didn’t need to stand on his toes, but he did anyway to press himself closer.

Hank wrapped an arm around Connor’s back and ran his other hand through Connor’s hair, messing up the artfully styled curls. He could feel Connor smiling into the kiss.

Hank briefly broke away. “So we’re doing this?” He searched Connor’s face for...something. But Connor was beautiful, just staring back with bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

“If long distance is too hard, I can wait for you. I’ll be back in Detroit in February when we’re done filming for the season. I mean we barely know each other, but I just feel- this feels-”

“It feels right. Like finally coming home after a long day.”

“Exactly.”

The best way Hank could describe the way Connor was looking at him was  _ enamored _ . He couldn’t believe his luck. Unable to resist, he pulled Connor back into a kiss.

And it did feel like coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few things I had to completely cut out in order to finish within the timeframe, so I'll just mention it here. They were meant to explore more of the buildings. Hank and Connor were also supposed to have a conversation during one of those where Connor explains that his mom (Amanda) just had a health scare. She's okay, but it really rattled him. His dad was also a little bitch and Amanda divorced his ass so fast for not treating his son with the love he deserves. I just think this is important for people to know okay sadkgjg. Oh and don't call that number, it's just Connor's model ID.
> 
> The location is also based on a real hospital of the same name. I took a lot of creative liberty with the actual interior of the building which is renovated irl, but the history of how it treated patients is all real. You can check that out [here](https://www.thevillagetc.com/history/).
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated!  
Want to talk sometime? You can check me out on twitter at [thehankconsucc](https://twitter.com/thehankconsucc)!


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